How to Provide After Sales Service & Make Customers Happy

In a world of instant gratification and a plethora of supply channels for consumers to choose from, a company's work in winning over clients is never done; to retain customers and generate positive referrals -- as well as repeat business -- you have to set yourself apart from the throng. You do this by both actively engaging with existing customers long after the sale's completion and tailoring your offerings specifically to their needs -- and even their complaints.

After the Sale

  1. Closing the sale should be seen as the first step in garnering sales, notes business blogger Philip Geist, and not the last. By following up after the sale, you lay the groundwork for repeat business and an ongoing relationship with your clients. This applies to one-time sales clients as well as repeat customers: Geist notes that his one-time purchase at a car dealership still brings in birthday and anniversary cards three years later. There is a practical side to keeping in touch: you remind your customer base that you exist and have the tools to help them into the future.

Followup Fundamentals

  1. Customer service consultancy Catalytic Management gives some rules of thumb for keeping the fire lit long after the sale. These include writing a handwritten note to thank the customer for her time and business, the personal touch of which will sear your company into her consciousness; following up two weeks after the sale to check on the progress of the purchase and how the experience has been for the customer and over the course of six months, continuing to follow up, rotating the use of phone calls, emails and other formats so that you touch base at least once a month.

Addressing Problems

  1. Contrary to what you may wish, says "Entrepreneur" magazine, silence is not golden after a sale, and a quiet customer could well be a disgruntled one who is telling everyone he knows about his beefs with your company. You want the customer to be vocal and even express dissatisfaction, because that will present the opportunity to rectify the damage and floor him with your service. Contact the customer after the purchase and see whether she is happy with the product. If not, allow her to vent. Offer to repair, install, maintain, refund or exchange a product -- without delay.

Customer Attunement

  1. Small gestures go a long way in building relationships with clients and cementing in their minds that they are important to you. Among some of the more unorthodox ways you can do so is by sending articles to your customer dealing with her industry, or being on the lookout for any mention of the customer's company in the news. The latter presents an opportunity to reconnect and discuss new services that might be useful. Alternately, says Catalytic Management, address a specific need or problem a customer is facing by offering a referral or introduction to someone who can help.